Hair curler



p 11, 1956 L. L. LERNER 2,762,378

HAIR CURLER Filed Aug. 31, 1954 LOUIS L. LERNER INVENTOR.

BY wry.

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United States Patent O HAIR CURLE'R Louis L. Lerner, Chicago, Ill., assignor to The Gillette Company, Boston, Mass., a corporation of Delaware Application August 31, 1954, Serial No. 453,336 14 Claims. (Cl. 132-33) This invention relates to a device for imparting a permanent or temporary wave to the hair and more particularly concerns a hair curling device having an improved winding member upon which the hair is wound.

In accordance with the usual practices of home and beauty shop permanent waving, the hair is first sectioned and blocked into a number of tresses which are wound upon separate curlers. As is a common practice, these tresses may be treated with the waving lotion both before and after they are wound upon the curlers. Once the tresses have been wound and treated with the waving lotion, they are allower to react with the lotion for a predetermined length of time in order to render the hair plastic through reduction of the disulfide linkages in the hair keratin. The length of time that the hair is permitted to react with the lotion is determined by the type and composition of the waving lotion, and the temperature of treatment, all of which may be varied to give the desired level of plasticity. After the desired length of time, the action of the lotion upon the hair is retarded by rinsing the wound hair with water.

Thereafter, the tresses may be treated with a so-called neutralizing or oxidizing solution and/or may be allowed to dry on the curlers; however, either process arrests the action of the waving lotion and promotes oxidation-rebuilding of the reduced disulfide linkages.

The strength and permanence of the curl thus imparted to the hair, as well as the uniformity of these properties throughout the individual hair fibers of each tress are dependent upon obtaining uniform penetration of the waving lotion, aqueous rinsing liquid, and neutralizing agent into the wound tress so that the entire tress is uniformly saturated or impregnated with the desired liquid throughout its extent. Concurrently with the above, properly and uniformhly distributed tension in the wound tress is important.

With curlers heretofore employed, there is a marked tendency of the hair to bunch or gather in the center portion of the winding member during the winding operathe hair in the middle of the winding member is wound under a different tension and is packed more tightly than the hair along the margins of the tress adjacent the ends of the winding member, and this substantially interferes with the desired maximum uniform saturation of the wound tress. Although the application of chemical treatment upon a tress so wound results in normal processing of the loosely wound margins and exposed surfaces, the middle of the tress where the hair is tightly bunched and packed is often under-processed. The resulting permanent waves are therefore less permanent, and the relative weakness of the curl in portions of the tress, particularly in the more inaccessible under-treated center portion, causes the formation of limp curls having irregular undulations.

One object of this invention is to provide a hair curling device so constructed that the hair, as it is wound, tends to distribute itself uniformly across the elements of the 2,762,378 Patented Sept. 11, 1956 winding member, thus substantially of the hair to bunch in one area.

Another object is to provide a hair curling device having a winding member comprising flexible elements that will readily conform to the various stresses normally induced in the hair during the winding operation, while maintaining a minimum contact area between the hair and winding member. 1

Another object is to provide a hair curling device of reducing the tendency such a design as to expose a maximum area of wound chemical and aerial processing Fig. 3 is a cross-section taken along the line 3-3 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is a cross-section taken along the line 4-4 of Fig. 2; and

Fig. 5 is a cross-section of a winding member of still another embodiment of the invention.

Referring to Fig. 1 of the drawings, the hair curling device'comprises a clasp member 10 and a winding member 12. Clasp member 10 is provided with a pair of projecting flanges or cars 14 adjacent one end,'the flanges being slightly spaced apart and being provided with mating apertures 16, 16. Winding member 12 includes a pair of end members 18, 20 between which extends three ribs or rods 22, 24, 26, the ribs extending longitudinally of the axis of the winding member and being distributed about the axis as shown in Fig. 3 so that the outer haircontacting portions 28 are approximately equally spaced apart by an angular distance of at least 60 about the axis. Extending from end member 26 is shaft 30 carrying a spherical or bulbous collar 32 which seats in mating apertures 16, 16 to provide a ball-and-socket joint. End member 18 is provided with a plurality of diametrical slots 34, 34 in its end face into which tang 36, secured to the corresponding end of clasp member 10, seats when the clamp member 10 and winding member 12 are in closed position, as shown in dotted lines in Fig. 1. Accordingly, when the device is closed, winding member 12 is locked against rotation. In addition, the clasp member and winding member are so proportioned that the bowed midportion of clasp member 10 must be flexed slightly to permit tang 36 to ride over the edge of end member 18 in order to seat in slot 34. This arrangement serves to maintain the winding member and clasp member releasably locked in closed position.

Ribs 22, 24, 26 of the winding member which are joinedtogether at each end by end members 18 and 20 have their inner edges spaced apart, the minimum angular spacing between any two adjacent ribs, as shown in Fig. 3, being greater than the maximum angular thickness of each rib. In order to promote uniform distribution of the hair tress along the length of the hair-contacting body portion between end members 18 and 20 of the winding member, the outer hair-contacting portions 28 of each rib or rod slope toward the axis of the winding member from adjacent the ends to adjacent the midportion of the body portion, as shown in Fig. l, the radial distance from the axis of the winding member to the outerhair-contacting portions 28 diminishing progressively toward the midportion.

Ribs 22, 24, 26 are preferably formed of a flexible, resilient, plastic material so that each rib or rod is flexible toward and away from the axis of the winding member. As the hair tress is wound upon the winding member, the

aveaavs ribs tend to flex inwardly, as shown by the dotted lines in Fig. 3, particularly if excessive tension is applied to the tress during the winding operation. This flexibility also permits the effective overall diameter of the winding member to decrease yieldingly when swelling of the individual hair fibers occurs, as it normally does upon subjection of the hair to a Waving lotion. This feature prevents undue tensioning of the tress in its wound condition during treatment with waving lotion and facilitates ready penetration'of the entire tress by the rinsing water which is subsequently applied.

In order to provide for adequate saturation of the tress with the several treating liquids, it is important that the outer "hair-contacting portions of the ribs or rods be spaced apart by an angular distance of at least 60 about the axis of the winding member, preferably 90 or more. Furthermore, it is desirable that the inner edges of the rods or ribs be normally spaced apart by an angular distance of at least about the axis of the winding member. The angular spacing between the inner edges of the ribs will decrease, of course, with increasing flexing of the ribs toward the axis of the winding member.

In another embodiment of the invention, as shown in Figs. 2 and 4, the winding member 40 includes two ribs 42, 44 disposed more than 90 apart, being approximately 180 apart, on opposite sides of a relatively Wide flat rib 46, the inner edges of ribs 42, 44 being spaced from rib 46. The hair-contacting edge portions 48, of rib 46 slope toward the axis of the winding member from adjacent the ends to adjacent the midportion, as do the outer hair-contacting portions 52, 54 of ribs 42, 44. In this embodiment, the inner edges of ribs 42, 44 also slope toward the axis of the winding member from adjacenttheir ends, the radial distance from the axis to the inner edge of these ribs diminishing progressively toward the midportion of the winding member, as seen most clearly in Fig. 2.

In another embodiment of the invention, as shown in Fig. 5, the winding member is formed of four rods 60,

62, 64, 66, all of which extend longitudinally of the axis of the winding member with their inner edges spaced therefrom. In this embodiment, both the outer hair-contacting, portions of the rods and their inner edges are generally parallel to the axis of the winding member, and each individual rod is flexible to permit movement 'of the rod toward and away from the axis of the winding member in order to vary the effective overall diameter of thewinding member adjacent its midportion. In this embodiment, movement of each individual rod may be primarily in a direction which passes alongside the axis, but does not directly intersect it. However, any movement of the rods which reduces the effective overall diameter of the winding member is considered to be movement toward the axis of the winding member.

It will be clear from the foregoing description that as the hair tress is initially wound upon the winding member, it will be distributed successively in a plane (the plane defined by the outer hair-contacting portions of two adjacent ribs) bridging the gap between two adjacent ribs, then in a curved or arcuate layer as it passes over the longitudinally arcuate outer hair-contacting portion of each individual rib. This action which is inherent in the winding member as the hair tress is initially wound upon it tends to produce automatic aligning of the hair fibers, thus reducing the tendency of the winding member as a whole to become skewed as the tress is further wound upon it and facilitating uniform distribution of the hair along the length of the winding member.

Because of the inherent flexibility of the'windin'g member of the present invention and its open interior, a tress of hair, when wound upon it, may be readily deformed or compressed by the fingers or by the lotion applicator, thus providing a type of pumping action and promoting uniform impregnation and distribution of thewaving lotion or other liquid medium throughout the mass of the wound tress. Furthermore, because of the flexibility of the individual ribs or rods of the winding member which enables the overall eifective diameter of the winding member to be yieldingly decreased, particularly adjacent its midportion, the stresses normally developed in the hair fibers during the winding operation and during the treatment with waving lotion are substantially reduced, the maximum stress being controlled by the spring-like resiliency of the ribs. This yielding compressibility of the winding member is also of particular advantage when the hair tress is dried while still in the wound condition, since additional stresses induced by shrinkage of the hair during the drying operation may be relieved or controlled, thus minimizing breakage of hair fibers and formation of undesirable crimp marks in the hair. It will be understood that the outer and inner edges of the individual ribs or rods of the winding member may be straight, concave, convex, or any combination thereof.

Although specific embodiments of the invention have been herein described, it is not intended to limit the invention solely thereto, but to include all of the obvious variations and modifications within the spirit and scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A hair curler including a winding member about which a tress of hair may be wound, said winding member having a hair-contacting body portion formed of from three to four ribs extending longitudinally'of the axis of said member and distributed about said axis so that the outer hair-contacting portions of said ribs are approximately equally spaced apart by an angular distance of at least 60 about said axis, said outer portions of said ribs sloping toward said axis from adjacent the ends to adjacent the midportion of said body portion, at least two of said ribs spaced more than about said axis having their inner edges spaced apart and being flexible toward and away from said axis.

2. A hair curler as claimed in claim 1 wherein said ribs are formed of flexible plastic material and are joined together at each end.

3. A hair curler as claimed in claim 2 wherein the maximum angular thickness of each rib is less than the minimum angular spacing between any two adjacent ribs.

4. A hair curler including a winding member about which a tress of hair may be wound, said winding-member comprising a hair-contacting body portion formed of three rods extending longitudinally of the axis of said member and distributed about said axis with their inner edges normally spaced apart, the outer hair-contacting portions of said rods being approximately equally spaced apart by an angular distance of at least 60 about said axis, and said rods being flexible toward and away from said axis.

5. A hair curler as claimed in claim 4 wherein the radial distance from said axis to the outer hair-contacting portions of said rods diminishes progressively from adjacent the ends to adjacent the midportion of said body portion.

6. A hair curler as claimed in claim 4 wherein the normal spacing of the inner edges of said rods about said axis is at least 30 about said axis.

7. A hair curler as claimed in claim 4 wherein said'rods are formed of flexible .plastic material and are joined at their ends to end members at opposite ends of said body portion.

8. A hair curler as claimed in claim 4 wherein said angular distance is at least 90 9. A hair curler including a winding member about which a tress of hair may be wound, said winding member comprising a hair-contacting body portion formed of a rib extending along the axis having two opposite. outer haircontacting edge portions extending longitudinally of said axis, and a pair of ribs disposed approximately 180 apart and extending longitudinally of said axis on opposite sides of the first said rib with their inner edges spaced therefrom throughout their extent, the last said ribs being flexible toward and away from said axis.

10. A hair curler as claimed in claim 9 wherein the outer hair-contacting portions of said ribs slope toward said axis from adjacent the ends to adjacent the midportion of said body portion.

11. A hair curler including a winding member about which a tress of hair may be wound, said winding member comprising a hair-contacting body portion formed of four rods extending longitudinally of the axis of said member and distributed about said axis with their inner edges normally spaced apart, the outer hair-contacting portions of said rods being approximately equally spaced apart by an angular distance of at lest 60 about said axis, and said rods being flexible towrd and away from said axis.

12. A hair curler as claimed in claim 4 wherein the radial distance from said axis to the inner edge of said rods diminishes progressively from adjacent the ends to adjacent the midportion of said body portion.

13. A hair curler as claimed in claim 11 wherein the radial distance from said axis to the inner edge of said rods diminishes progressively from adjacent the ends to adjacent the midportion of said body portion.

14. A hair curler as claimed in claim 11 wherein said rods are formed of flexible plastic material and are joined at their ends to end members at opposite ends of said body portion.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,705,448 Horacek Mar. 12, 1929 2,244,708 Jacobs June 10, 1941 2,682,272 Hopkins et al June 29, 1954 

